Having trouble finishing that inspired project you’re working on?
You have a great idea. You sit down and start working on it. You are full of energy and motivation. And then this unsettled feeling creeps in and your motivation slips away. You become distracted. You can’t sit still. You check your email. You decide to wash the dishes. Your thoughts feel scattered and you figure it would be better to come back to your work when you feel refreshed.
So, you leave your great idea and find a positive way to deal with that uncomfortable feeling.
Sounds like a good coping skill. A positive way to channel scattered energy. Right?
The problem is, every time you sit down to work on that great idea, the same thing happens. Invariably, that twitchy, restless, distracted, cloudy, jittery, uncomfortable feeling pursues you. It keeps you from making any serious headway. Why?
You have a stuck point. (Don’t worry. You can be cured!)
What on earth is a stuck point?
It’s a point in your thought process that makes you uncomfortable. When you hit it, you stop moving forward. And it’s usually not right up there in the top of your consciousness. You may need to dig a bit to expose it.
Let’s do an exercise:
- Sit for a minute with your eyes closed.
- Picture yourself working on that project, the one with so much greatness all wrapped up in it.
- Feel yourself going through your process.
- When you get to the point where you start to feel uncomfortable, stop.
- Now ask yourself this question—What was I thinking about when I began to get uncomfortable?
For example: I’m working on a new book and when I start to dream about all the people who will read it, I get flustered. It’s a physical feeling that creeps in and soon I find myself getting up from the computer. So, I know my stuck point is related to what I was thinking when I started feeling all wiggly. In my case, it was the thought of other people reading my book.
- Go back to that uncomfortable feeling you had and explore it. Then ask yourself—What is it about what I was thinking that bothers me?
I asked—Why did thinking about people reading my book make me nervous? Was I afraid my book wouldn’t be good enough? Surprisingly, my answer to that question was, no. Although that might be a common problem, it was not the trouble in my case. I had to dig deeper to get to the reason behind my feeling.
After exploring that uneasiness, I realized I didn’t like the idea of self-promotion. I was excited about lots of people reading my book, but having to holler to the world, “Look at this wonderful book I wrote!” made me feel ill.
So, I asked myself—Why?
And I answered—because when I was young, my mother said that drawing attention to myself was selfish and showed I was lacking in good character.
I discovered my stuck point!
- After you expose that sneaky little stuck point, ask the most important question—Is it true?
If it is true, then take whatever action you need to remedy your situation. But, most of the time you will find it isn’t even true! All this time you have been allowing a false belief to keep you from achieving your best!
Maybe, when I was six and demanding my mother’s attention I needed to learn to chill out a bit. I can see myself pulling on her skirt and saying, “Mom! Look at me! Look at me!” But that doesn’t mean promoting my book now is selfish at all!
My previous brain training needs some re-training!
How do you re-train your brain?
- Get a pen and write down the OPPOSITE of that thought that no longer serves you. I wrote: My book is full of important truths and people will be encouraged by it. I feel privileged to tell tons of people about my book because I know it will help them!
- After you write down your new truth, read it OUT LOUD to yourself. Record yourself on your phone and play it back to yourself. Write it on sticky notes and put them all over your house. Make up a song with it. Paint a picture with it. Use as many of your senses as you can to get it inside you, deep in there where it changes what you believe.
- Imagine how good it feels to be free! Close your eyes and picture yourself working on that amazing project with great energy flowing. Feel that lovely feeling of accomplishment!
- Next time you sit down and work on that project, remind yourself of your truth. Before you know it, that old feeling will stop creeping in. You will no longer get stuck!
It feels great to be free!
With nothing left to block your fluid, forward momentum, you will be accomplishing goals in no time. No more sneaky little stuck point. You are cured. Reward yourself for your hard work and keep in mind, the truth will always set you free!
